Our Allotment in the Promise Part 3 “Simeon and Levi”
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5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; Instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; Unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: For in their anger they slew a man, And in their selfwill they digged down a wall.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; And their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel.
Introduction
Introduction
We want to continue our series on the sons of Jacob, without losing sight of the spiritual application, that we are positionally placed by the Holy Ghost in the Word of our hour, the land where all the promises lay.
And there’s a great lesson that sometime I hope to be able to bring at Tucson, of those Hebrew mothers giving birth to those babies. When she groaned at the birth pain of the baby, she called the name of the baby and that positionally placed it in the promised land, it’s tribe.
The great thing, all the Word of God fits right together. If it doesn’t fit together, it’s not God’s Word that’s misfit, it’s your thought is misfitting to the Word. It all fits together. 64-1221 - “Why It Had To Be Shepherd”
We are not attempting to do what Bro. Branham didn’t do, or preach a Message he didn’t preach, but to take what he did say in different places and compare it with Scripture.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
When looking at the Scripture, especially the Old Testament the rule is this “where is Christ in it?”
He is the principal theme of the entire Bible. If you read the Bible, and don’t see Christ in every verse of It, go back and read It again. 63-0728 - “Christ Is The Mystery Of God Revealed”
All of the Old Testament types and shadows point to Him and are fulfilled in Him.
Every scripture dovetails with the rest of the Bible. If it doesn’t our understanding is wrong, and in the end, the picture is Christ.
(More on this at another time)
Simeon and Levi
5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; Instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
Simeon and Levi were linked together, having very similar beginnings, but they have very different outcomes.
This is a common theme through the Scriptures.
Jacob and Esau, “take one and leave one” etc.
Simeon means “hearing” or “God has heard”.
33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.
In other words “this is my revenge, payback for being hated”
Levi means “joined”
34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.
Joined or cleaved like a husband and wife. Literally “adhesive”.
Jacob continues:
6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; Unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: For in their anger they slew a man, And in their selfwill they digged down a wall.
You can find the story in Genesis 34 where Simeon and Levi destroyed an entire city because they abused their sister Dinah.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; And their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel.
Both tribes were under the same blessing, but they had vastly different outcomes.
The tribe of Simeon is even missing from the blessing of Moses in Deuteronomy.
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Simeon, Tribe Of
Although Simeon was Jacob’s second oldest son, his progeny never achieved a position of prominence in Israel, before or after the conquest and occupation of Canaan. For example, the tribe apparently provided no judges, and the Song of Deborah contains no references to this group
All because of anger.
They did fight along with Judah, and they were included in Judah’s territory. Their allotment was a part of Judah.
1 And the second lot came forth to Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families: and their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah.
9 Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon: for the part of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of them.
They lived in the desert part of Judah, but they did not multiply like Judah did.
24 The sons of Simeon were, Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul:
25 Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.
26 And the sons of Mishma; Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, Shimei his son.
27 And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply, like to the children of Judah.
Because Simeon took the punishment of the men of Shechem into their own hands, his family suffered.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
We must be born again, so there is something there to control that desire for retribution.
Satan does not tempt down in here, he tempts out here in the flesh. For instance, you go down the street tomorrow, you’re walking along singing Christian songs, and somebody says, “You know, she or he, is just a hypocrite (talking about you.); there’s nothing…”
Now, the first thing, your flesh picks that up in the ear, and it suggest to the mind, “Get even with him.” Time it gets back here, he says, this back here says, “‘Vengeance is Mine,’ saith the Lord. ‘I will repay.’” 54-0216 - “Jairus And Divine Healing”
The souls under the altar could not be Bride because they cried for vengeance.
And notice how these are crying out for vengeance. They cannot be bride material. The bride turns the cheek and cries, “Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do.” An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages (7 - The Sardisean Church Age)
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Bro. Branham is asked the question: “Where are the spirits now that went into the swine?” (Legion)
Bro. Branham said the maniac of Portland had a demon of hatred. It had to be bound by a spirit of love.
And you never cast a devil out by the wrong attitude. It takes love to do that. And love is the most powerful force that there is in the world.
Now, if you notice, a devil is always hate. Hate is of the devil. And when people hate someone, remember, it is a terrible devil to despise or dislike. You mustn’t do that. 59-1223 - “Questions And Answers”
Now, in that man was some of these spirits that was cast out of the swine in Gadara. 59-1223 - “Questions And Answers”
The spirits that went out of that man, that drove him like a maniac (see?), does the same thing today in people. See? It’s them spirits, thousands times thousands. 59-1223 - “Questions And Answers”
(Begins in a mild or religious form)
Spirits never die. We have the Spirit of Christ.
Now, if the spirit of Elijah upon John would make John act like Elijah, the Spirit of God upon you will make you act like Jesus.
Now, there’s where you find the Holy Spirit. See? That’s what the Holy Spirit does. It makes you meek, makes you humble, makes you forgiving.
Could they pull whiskers from your face, if you had them there, jerk them out and spit in your face, when you had the power to call legions of Angels? Could you do that for the love of the people that was spitting in your face? Could you do it?
If somebody just walked up to you and said, “Hey, you hypocrite!” and smacked you on one side of face, could you pray for their forgiveness? Now, that’s where trust—test whether you got the Holy Spirit or not.
When somebody says something evil against someone, sometimes that claims to have the Holy Spirit, “I’ll get even with her if it takes me my last day.” See? Now, there’s where you check about your Holy Spirit.
“Blessed are you when man shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My Name’s sake.” But you go get even with them? No! “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
When someone says evil about you, say something good. If you can’t say something good about them, then don’t say nothing. Just let it go. See? And then, when you get to yourself, pray for them. 59-1223 - “Questions And Answers”
(Story about the boys he tried to shoot)
He goes back to the demons in the swine:
He said, “Don’t torment us before the time comes; but if you’ll cast us out…(Look at the meaness of them, the wickedness.) If you are going to cast us out, don’t let us just go free out into the world, ’cause hard tell where we’ll get into somebody else. If you’ll cast us out…
We want to be in somebody; we want to do something; we want to do some more meanness.” That’s the devil. “I’ll get back with him. Hmm!” See? That’s the devil. “I’ll get even with him.” See? Just remember, it’s your brother standing there, but the devil got on him.
“Let us do something mean. We can make these Gadarenes over here suffer for this,” might have said the head, one of them. Said, “Let us go down in that herd of swine.”
Jesus said, “Take your leave. But come out of him!” Oh, my! Little bitty guy like that speaking to that big legion of devils. “Come out of him! You have your leave.”
And they got into those hogs, and they had fits, run them hogs into fits. And down the way they went to the river, and drowned in the river, choked themselves in the river. Isn’t that right?
Of course the devils went out of them, ’cause it killed the hogs. It just run them into a fit. They had a fit just like anyone. Did you ever see a person have a temper fit? Well, that’s just what it is. That’s just them devils. That’s what happened to them.
You ever see one of them having a temper fit, you say, “Uh huh, I know what happened in Gadara now.” See? That’s just exactly.
Just a few more come in there, run him completely insane; ’cause the medical doctor will tell you that temper is the first stage of insanity. 59-1223 - “Questions And Answers”
Every time you lose your temper and go off on somebody, it’s a spirit not even swine could live with.
It’s insanity.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Being angry is normal, living in that condition is not.
Be angry and sin not. Come to the water and be healed of that insanity.
You don’t have to be that way.
Levi did the same thing that Simeon did.
The temper carried on through, even to Moses, who was a levite.
He took things in his own hands in Egypt, and all he had to show for it was a stinking corpse. A dead Egyptian in the sand.
Now, Moses, after taking the situation in his own hand, found out that he was a total failure, and run from the presence of Pharaoh and the Presence of God, and was a stranger for forty years way back.
And he married an Ethiopian girl. And so she had a lot of temper. And Moses had a lot of temper. That was his trouble. And I just imagine things wasn’t so peaceful back there on the back of the desert, at times. But God gave it to him.
Now, if you think you married a woman has a little temper, maybe God’s trying to tame you down a little (You see?), so, and vice versa. 55-0122 - “This Great Servant, Moses”
10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
12 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
Satan tempted Moses at his weak spot and got him to break the commandments and smite the rock, showing the natural priesthood would be broken, but when he came against Jesus in the wilderness he realized “this isn’t Moses”.
Hebrews 6:20 tells us He was a high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
Melchisedec was greater than Levi, because Levi paid tithes to Him in Abraham.
Levi would not have a allotment, but would be called to be priests and serve the Tabernacle of the Lord.
48 For the Lord had spoken unto Moses, saying,
49 Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel:
50 But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.
51 And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
They were dispersed but they were called to serve. God was their portion.
8 And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, Whom thou didst prove at Massah, And with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
9 Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; Neither did he acknowledge his brethren, Nor knew his own children: For they have observed thy word, And kept thy covenant.
10 They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, And Israel thy law: They shall put incense before thee, And whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar.
11 Bless, Lord, his substance, And accept the work of his hands: Smite through the loins of them that rise against him, And of them that hate him, that they rise not again.
Why the drastic change between Genesis and Deuteronomy?
God needed someone who would be zealous for the house of the Lord.
Jesus never lost His temper, but He did drive the moneychangers out with a whip. The man of God MUST not strive, but he must also rebuke and warn.
The story of Phinehas
The error of Baal-Peor
Phinehas took matters in his own hands, just like his ancestor Levi, just like Moses. But his zeal wasn’t for retribution but to save lives.
10 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.
12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:
13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.
14 Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.
Look at the difference. The Simeonites went along with the error Baal-Peor, it’s why they were so weak, but the Levites were zealous for the Word of the Lord.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
The zeal we need is a zeal to say “I am wrong”.
Simeon and Levi were both under the same blessing from Jacob, and it was completely negative. But God saw something in Levi that would stand for the Word.
Conclusion
Conclusion
As we are being placed in the land, who would you want to be identified with? Simeon or Levi?
Let me have a zeal for the Word. Not for retribution or personal gain. Not because someone wronged me in some way, but a zeal to save people from the plague of sin.
